Mother faked child’s cancer story

A central Ohio woman faked a cancer diagnosis for her 4-year-old son and shaved his head in a scheme that convinced him and others he was dying and bilked people out of donations, authorities said.

Court records allege the boy was taken to a hospital for symptoms such as seizures. He underwent at least 20 blood tests, more than 150 hours of inpatient monitoring and other testing that found no problems, according to the records.

Authorities say the hoax began late last year when she and others she told about the boy’s cancer diagnosis created websites in support of him. One site provided updates on his condition, and another solicited hundreds of police and fire department patches, which the boy collected, The Columbus Dispatch reported.

There were some family problems that may have prompted this. She did convince family members (though it’s not clear if she lied to the child) that he was really ill. She was caught after a REAL parent of a child with cancer noticed that the updates to his condition did not make sense and tipped authorities.